A client in a health care facility asks the nurse about the facility’s

A client in a health care facility asks the nurse about the facility’s computerized system for keeping client information, especially confidentiality issues. Which is the best response by the nurse?

1. “Don’t worry, your information is always safe.”
2. “Information in our system requires a password to retrieve.”
3. “Our system was designed with a lot of input from nursing staff.”
4. “I can see why you’re worried, with all the computer hackers out there these days.”

ANSWER

Correct Answer: 2
Rationale 1: Information in a computer data system may not always be safe, and it would be inappropriate for the nurse to say this.
Rationale 2: Maintaining privacy and security of data is a significant issue. One way that computers can protect data is by the use of passwords-only those persons who have a legitimate need to access the data receive the password.
Rationale 3: Nurses need to be involved with the design, implementation, and evaluation of client-based patient records (CPRs) to maximize their use and effectiveness, but this does not ensure security.
Rationale 4: Reminding the client that there is indeed cause for privacy concerns is not therapeutic.